Blue Planet
by NekoIchigo332
Summary: The old alien threat has been dealt with, but how can only 5 mews expect to fight off the new assault of 500 aliens when the alien king decides to finish the battle once and for all? With new gadgets and help from Kish, Pie and Tart, maybe they'll prevail
1. Chapter 1: A Disappointing Homecoming

Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew or any of its characters.

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Blue Planet

Chapter 1

Two weeks have passed since the aliens gave up the battle for Earth and evacuated the coveted planet, and have since returned to their home. However, they received a far from warm welcome…

"You three, go inside! Quickly now, the Great King Suigin will not tolerate being kept waiting." The alien trio took a few tentative steps forward as the stone-faced guard prodded them with the traditional Pai-gra stick in the direction of the colossal stone doors, the doors which no one ever wanted to have to pass through. Heavy iron chains trailed from the aliens' manacled hands in place of the decorative ribbons they once had worn, and heavy rings encircled their ankles to prevent escape. Although the chains they bore were cumbersome, it was the rings that would stop anyone from attempting to run, as they contained a device that would cause them to explode if they were deployed by the guards who, smirking, held the remotes. Tart gulped and raised his head to examine the top of the doors as he passed through them, preferring to look at the doors themselves then the sight that the room he had just entered contained.

"Kish, Pie, Tart," The enraged alien leader fumed, pacing back and forth in front of the three clearly nervous aliens. "You have betrayed us, your own kind! You have surrendered our planet, our future! You have failed your task." Tart decided to cut in.

"We didn't surrender, we merely-"

"SILENCE! As punishment for your failure to capture Earth, you shall be banished to the hostile moon of Fuzen! You will be leaving in two days with your escort. Now, go!"

"So much for our hearing…" Kish muttered to Tart as he passed by him on their way out of the room. Tart smiled weakly; at least he would not be alone.

"Man," Kish stated, "King Suigin scares me. Fuzen is the planet where all the criminals go. It's the place that mothers tell their children about, that fathers fear, a child's worst nightmare. I'd give anything to be someone else right now. Why don't we go for a walk?" Everyone agreed, so they rose from the various places around the musty room they had sprawled themselves, and departed to the underground streets of their home city, Soya Chikei.

Back in the quarters of the alien king Suigin, a young female knelt before the throne. "General Maya," the king began, "we will need everyone possible for this war. The people of Earth may be weak and inferior, but they boast a far greater fighting force then we'll ever have. I'm leaving it to you to search the town for worthy soldiers. Collect anyone who is of proper age and health. I have confidence in you, my daughter. Do not disappoint me."

"I will serve you well, King Suigin." She replied, as she rose. Maya then turned to the group of soldiers that had been summoned to the corner of the vast throne room. "Let's go. You heard our king, we have work to do." Spoke the pink-haired general, and with them she left to search the city for possible warriors.

Two days came and went in the blink of an eye, and at last the dreaded hour of the banishment was upon them. Their escort was a group of four, hostile-looking men, who quickly secured the explosive bracelets on their wrists as well as the chains. The guards then prodded the distressed aliens down the street to the edge of town where the large docks of the spaceport could be seen, and the ominous silhouettes of the battleships that were being stocked with supplies by many frantic aliens, scurrying back and forth like ants in their haste to complete the task.

Pie, Kish, and Tart shuffled aboard a small transport ship, called a , and the trio moved toward a cluster of pedestals, eager to sit down. However, a guard rushed forward, and, with a slap of his Pai-gra stick, he ushered them toward a holding cell in the back. "No levitating for convicts." He spat, smirking. The unfortunate aliens fumed silently while the guard locked them in the cell, and then took his place atop one of the pedestals along with his comrades. However, Tart quickly resolved the matter by sticking his tongue out at the guard as soon as his back was turned.

Kish sighed as he slid down the cold wall of the cell to land on the floor, and leaned back against the wall. The others did the same, and they looked about them bleakly, searching half-heartedly for any means of escape. Eventually they all gave up, and their gazes shifted dejectedly to the floor. Tart at last broke the silence.

"Guys, we have to do something! Did you see all those battleships they're loading up? By the looks of it, they're sending every able-bodied alien to Earth! They won't stand a chance down there!" He explained to his fellows.

"We're in no position to help anyone, Tart." Kish replied with a sigh, "although you're right, it feels like we should do _something_. But still…traitor…I don't like the sound of the word, especially not when it applies to me. If we do anything to help the humans, we will be betraying our own race. Can we do that?"

"Do you think King Suigin is right to attack Earth? How can you still support him when he's sending us to Fuzen!"

"You're right again, Tart…I don't. Besides, I would like to see Earth again…"

"Hmph! It's Ichigo you want to see, Kish!" Tart broke in teasingly.

"You shut up, shorty!" Replied the alien, looking very Christmassy with his green hair and red face. Tart giggled, but Pie, who had been silent for the whole conversation, clapped his hand over Tart's mouth to silence him.

"Be quiet! Do you two want to bring the guards back here?" Tart shook his head, and Pie removed his hand.

"So…what do you think we should do, Pie? Anything we do, we have to do together. We all have to agree." Kish said slowly, turning to the older alien. Pie was silent for a few minutes, then spoke.

"I don't particularly like humans. They pollute their planet and have little regard for those that share the land with them. However…I definitely don't want to spend the rest of my days beating back convicts for my meals. I say we go to Earth!" Tart was about to cheer, but caught himself just in time and did a silent dance instead. Once he had finished, Tart began to whisper.

"Good! Because I've already thought up a plan…"

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	2. Chapter 2: Escape!

Chapter 2: Escape!

"I can't believe we're going to go through with this." Pie moaned when Tart had finished explaining what the plan was to be.

"I don't see why you're complaining, Pie. It's a _brilliant_ plan. What _I_ can't believe is that pipsqueak here came up with it!" Kish taunted, grinning. The older alien sighed.

"I've changed my mind, I'll take Fuzen." He muttered as the trio got in position. "You do realize, Tart, that once we're free, I'm going to kill you for this."

"Just start already! The rest of us are in position!" Tart snapped, and it was clear that he was worried by Pie's comment, even though Pie had little intention of keeping it. Pie took a deep breath, slowly released it, and closed his eyes. _I can't believe I'm about to do this._ He thought to himself, but dismissed the thought and opened his eyes again. Pie plastered a huge, obviously forced grin on his face, put his hands behind his back, and proceeded to dance the polka.

"Hey! Hey, guys! What the heck is the tall one doing!" One of the guards asked incredulously, gesturing to the grinning, dancing Pie. Another guard turned around.

"No idea. Never seen anything like it!"

"What do you suppose it is? Looks almost like a dance of some kind…" Said another.

"I hope it isn't some kind of deadly, voodoo dance from Earth! I've heard stories about those." The first guard broke in, as the three watched Pie nervously. Slowly, so slowly, an ominous, oozing green plant began to sprout out of the floor behind the polkaing alien, until it towered above his head and a dark maroon bulb bloomed from the top. The on looking guards gasped, and the fourth, who had been steering the ship, turned around to see what was going on. All of a sudden, the bulb's petals parted to reveal large, spiked teeth, and it reached down and scooped Pie up, leaving only his lower half protruding from the 'mouth' of the plant. His indignant, muffled cries for help were quickly drowned out by the startled yells of the guards, who leapt to their feet, but then were clearly unsure of what to do.

"Come on, we can't just let the plant eat 'im! We're supposed to take them to Fuzen alive!" One guard said, striding purposefully toward the button that would disable the force field that blocked the exit of the cell.

"No! Do not open that door; it's clearly a trap! Besides, how do we know that the plant won't eat us too if we open it?" Another commanded, rushing in front of the other guard to block the button from him.

"Ha, let the plant have him, I say. It's just another filthy prisoner, and face it. Fuzen's got enough convicts as it is; no one's gonna care if three show up or two. Leave him." The fourth guard concluded, and walked toward the cell to watch, his eyes narrowed.

"But- aaahh…" The first guard sighed, leaving the large button to stand meekly by his superior. Soon after, the others gave up the argument, walking toward the cell to try and figure out where the killer plant had come from.

"You ok, Tart? Ready for the next phase?" Kish whispered to Tart from his hiding spot in one of the small front corners, which were not visible to the guards. The red-haired alien nodded, although he was quickly loosing energy from sustaining the large plant. "Good. We have their attention, they're all watching. Now's the time!" Tart quickly switched his control from the large plant that was holding Pie to creating a new, small plant atop the force field release button. Lacking support from Tart and having no soil to support itself, the large flower shriveled up and disappeared into the floor. Pie, covered in slime, collapsed onto the ground, panting. "Almost…" Tart grunted, his strength nearly sapped from sustaining the large plant for so long.

"What the…" The experienced alien guard mused, and his eyes lit up with realization, but it was then too late. Tart's little plant had grown heavy enough to press down the button, and the field snapped off.

"QUICK, IT'S A TRAP! GET AROUND ME AND- UMPH!" The lead guard quickly began barking out orders, but Kish was faster, and darted out from his hiding place with swords in hand. Within seconds, all the guards lay unconscious on the floor. Pie was desperately trying to free himself of the putrid slime that encased his upper body; Tart was drenched in sweat from the exertion, and Kish was bruised from a few blows from Pai-gra sticks, but they were free.

Pie, disgusted, quickly found some cloth to wipe the slime off with, and did so hurriedly while muttering murder plans for Tart under his breath. Kish and Tart quickly dragged the limp forms of the guards into the cell, reactivating the field.

"They should be out for a few hours. Plenty of time for us to dump them and slip in with the departing war ships bound for Earth." Pie stated once he had rid himself of the sludge, and quickly stepped up to the steering rod, putting the transport ship back on track to Fuzen.

"Won't the guys at Fuzen be suspicious when they get four prisoners instead of three?" Tart inquired nervously.

"Hn! No one wants to work at Fuzen; it's chaotic over there. They won't give a thought to how many prisoners are delivered." Pie replied. "Besides, we're just going to dump them; we won't talk to anyone."

"Oh…ok…" Tart concluded, although it was obvious by his tone that he was not convinced. However, Kish and Tart settled themselves atop the nearest pedestals, still panting from the exertion of their escape technique, while Pie steered the ship toward the no longer distant silhouette of the Dark Moon: Fuzen.


	3. Chapter 3: Contemplation

Chapter 3: Contemplation

"Wow, I never expected it to be that easy!" Tart exclaimed as they veered away from Fuzen, having just dropped off the 'prisoners'.

"Heh. Those stupid workers never suspected a thing." Kish added.

"I told you, its chaotic. No one keeps track of when certain prisoners are being delivered, or even who they are." Pie concluded. The older alien inhaled deeply, one hand on his chin as he contemplated their next move.

_Analyze the situation. Objective? We need to be able to blend in with the war fleet to get to Earth undetected. Definitely not possible in this old tin can. Solution? Commandeer a fighter pod, preferably a small one, one that can easily go unnoticed. Problems? Has to be done quickly, before they contact the main ship. If we fail and are caught, then we will be lucky if we're sent to Fuzen. Most likely we will be killed._

Pie turned his gaze upon his two comrades, who had, over their many adventures and misadventures, become his friends. Was Earth really worth their lives?

Although he would never tell anyone, his friends meant a great deal to him. Pie had always been a serious, industrious individual, never having cared or worried about friendships. In his opinion, they were no more then distractions, weaknesses. Yet this made for a lonely life, and a joyless childhood.

A tiny smile grew upon his face, imperceptible to any who were not looking for it, as he watched the other two, who were arguing in a good-natured sort of way. _What a group of misfits the three of them were, _he speculated. Why ever had they, of all people, been chosen for the Earth mission? Kish, a previous delinquent harboring a colossal disregard for rules, clearly served as the brawn of the operation. But Tart? Tart was just a street urchin, an orphan, with a rare talent for nurturing plants. Pie knew Tart was much more complicated then he seemed on his happy go lucky surface, but then, so were they all.

And what of himself? He, as a scientist, had been chosen as the brains of the outfit, to give the mission a miniscule gleam of hope for success, and he had been no doubt chosen from the scientists, because he was the one that had no friends, that would not be missed. Because, Pie realized, although he supposed he had always known, the mission was never expected to succeed. They probably weren't even expected to return.

Earth was always destined for the large-scale attack that was coming, whether they had returned or not. He had seen the already made and prepared battleships at the docks. It would not have been more then a week they departed anyway. He and his friends were just a recon group; a group that was to be sacrificed and no one cared about.

Perhaps that was why Tart had been sent, and Kish as well, to be gotten rid of. One less delinquent, and one less mouth for society to attempt to feed with its limited resources. There was barely enough food to go around for those who worked and paid…

Different as the three aliens had once been from each other, they had banded together in a common goal, a common mission, and had gone from co-workers to close friends. They eventually realized that they had never been so different from each other after all. They had all been alone.

Pie rubbed his fingers against the side of his forehead as he thought, an old habit of his. Would it not be better to just go to Fuzen willingly, rather then chance being killed? No, Pie knew, he would rather be killed then live out his days on the Dread Moon, waiting for death to claim him and end his suffering. As he himself had said earlier, it was Earth or Fuzen. Personally, Pie preferred Earth. He would just have to plan carefully, so carefully…and for once, he would need to set aside his tendency to lean to the pessimistic side, and try to be an optimist.

"So. Got a plan Pie?" Kish broke in, disrupting the elder alien's thoughts.

"We're ready for action!" Tart exclaimed, leaning forward excitedly, his tiny hands clenched into fists. He was so much more powerful then he looked…

"I think I do, actually…" Pie answered, and began to explain his plan of action.


	4. Chapter 4: A Careful Plan

Author's Note:

Wow, I can't believe I haven't written one of these yet! Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers, you really do inspire me!

Mew Tatsu: Yay! Thank you for reviewing!

Kikii ember: The more reviews I get, the quicker I update! ; )

Berry: SO DO YOU!

Dark Judgment: Not over yet! Phwaa!

Mew of Fire: Thank you!

Snowbluerat: I'm happy to hear that!

Dasz: Yay, thank you for the compliments!

Nobody: NOOO! DON'T SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUST! I NEEEEEED YOOOOUUUUUR REEEVIIIIIEEEEEEWS!

MewKoneko-chan1: The couples, eh? Mwahahaha...They are as follows:

Ichigo: Kish

Mint: Keiichero (implied)

Lettuce: Ryou

Pudding: Tart (good friends)

Zakuro: Pie (eventually)

Romance will not play a HUGE part in this fanfiction, but it will definitely be there!

Ahem...and now, for what you have been waiting for ...THE CHAPPIE!

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center Blue Planet Chapter 4 center

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The green letters flashed across the screen as Pie finished encoding one of the guard's profiles into the computer database.

"What's that, Pie?" Questioned Tart as he wandered over to stare quizically at the large monitor. Pie then pushed a series of small blue buttons before turning to Tart to explain what he had done.

Before he could reply, the image of a soldier's face flickered onto the screen. A visored helmet covered his eyes and upper face, but the alien trio in the pod could see his mouth open and begin to move as his voice started sounding through the speakers. "This is 731 Valkyrie, I repeat, 731 Valkyrie. Distress call received, Pod 514. What is the problem?"

Tart's eyes widened in alarm. "Pie!" He whispered urgently. "Can he see us, too?" Pie shook his head.

"No, nor can he hear us, for now. I have the outgoing sound transmission off. Normally he would see us from that camera." Pie explained, pointing to a tiny lens at eye level above the keyboard. "I encoded the profile of the lead guard into the computer. I have it configured so that it will transmit his image to the other ships, not ours." Tart's mouth formed a small O, and while it was clear from his expression that he didn't really understand, he seemed very relieved.

"I'm turning the sound transmission on now, so don't say anything, ok?" Pie announced as he flipped a switch near the screen to the 'on' state, causing it to glow a soft yellow. Tart nodded, and Kish, approaching the two from the back of the pod to watch, nodded as well.

Pie used an urgent tone of voice as he did his best to imitate the lead guard's voice, yelling into the microphone. "This is Captain Thil, captain of Pod 514. My crew and I were transporting three convicts to Fuzen when they broke out and attacked! Requesting assistance, sir! The situation is desperate!" The guard on the screen nodded.

"Identity confirmed. We're on our way, Captain Thil."

Pie turned off the OST after switching the computer screen back to its normal mode. "And what do we do now, Pie?" Tart asked.

"For now we wait, and then we set our plan into action."

It wasn't long before they could feel the pod rock back and forth from the impact of the larger Valkyrie ship as it came up alongside them, the boarding tunnel extending to connect with their pod's side door. A message flashed across the computer's screen.

_731 VALKYRIE WISHES TO BOARD. ACCEPT?_

Pie tapped the enter button on the console, then sprang back into position in the shadows behind a large metal desk.

"Everyone ready?" He said quietly.

"Ready!"

"In position."

Came the other two alien's quick responses, and then the door slid open. Five aliens dressed in soldier attire ran in with Kousen guns in hand, their thick boots thundering as they collided with the metal floor. Helmeted heads turned wildly around as they searched for any signs of activity, but could find none. Pie, Kish, and Tart had hidden themselves well._Ok, here it goes! You can do this, Tart! You have to!_The youngest alien thought as he used what little remained of his energy to extend a small vine a few inches above the floor of the pod, crossing over to hover in front of the five soldiers' feet. In their haste to find the convicts, they ran straight into it and tripped as one, landing in a heap upon the floor. Before they could get up, Kish and Pie leaped from their hiding places, racing toward the soldiers. His trusty Dragon swords in either hand, Kish bashed two of them on the head in a few quick strokes, knocking them unconscious. The other three struggled to get to their feet, but Pie was faster, sending a quick bolt of electricity to knock one over, instantly knocking him out. Another ran at Pie, but Kish sprinted in front of him. The guard's Pai-gra stick was out, and the two became engrossed in a sword-fight as they battled. After a series of complicated maneuvers from Kish, the guard was out. Pie looked at Kish. He, in turn, nodded. Pie zapped the final guard's Pai-gra stick, sending it flying across the floor and leaving him defenseless. Kish then ran up and delivered the finishing blow to the back of his head from behind, and he collapsed.

All five guards now lay unconscious on the floor of the pod. Kish and Pie quickly moved them into the security area with the others. "Well, so far so good! Now it's on to the warship, right Tart?" Kish concluded, striding over to the alien huddled on the ground. He merely nodded, too exhausted to speak. So far everything had gone all right, but how long would it be before their luck ran out?


	5. Chapter 5: Welcome Aboard the Valkyrie!

Blue Planet

Chapter 5: Welcome Aboard the 731 Valkyrie

Pie finished typing in several computer commands for the small pod they were preparing to leave. The large screen flashed the words COORDINATES ADDED before going dark, never again to light up. The eldest alien groaned and stretched before rising, then headed toward the door that was currently connected to the Valkyrie to join Kish and Tart.

"Well, everything is taken care of. I've encoded the coordinates into the ship and permanently shut down everything non-vital for the pod to reach its destination." He announced.

"So it looks like they're all set for a one way trip to Fuzen!" Tart exclaimed, eager to board the new ship.

"Hm, but won't the soldiers tell the Fuzen guards what really happened? Then they'll inform the general and the king, and we'll be screwed." Kish inquired, but Pie quickly assuaged his fears.

"It won't matter. The fleet'll be halfway to Earth by then, and with luck we'll already be there. They will have no way to contact the general."

Tart then broke in, impatient. "Alright then, so let's get to our new ship! I bet its cool!" The alien wiggled with excitement. Pie nearly smiled at his young friend's antics, but caught himself just in time.

"Right then. Let's go." The three turned and walked through the small bridging tunnel, and Kish used an ID card he had swiped from the head soldier to open the door at the other end. They all stepped through the door, which closed behind them. The trio quickly braced themselves for the expected rocking of the vessel as the bridge connecting the pod and the Valkyrie withdrew, and the pod disembarked on its journey to Fuzen.

They found themselves in a larger, more spacious control room than could be found on the pod, boasting a giant computer screen that could be switched to its second function; a rounded windshield covering most of the ship's front. This was the first characteristic that set this apart as a warship, where such vision of the objects ahead was necessary. The ship was also divided into multiple rooms, a warship standard. Tart's eyes nearly popped our of his head in excitement when he entered, and immediately proceeded to run around and check every room individually.

"Wow, this is awsome! It's got a bridge, and a weapons room, and a stockroom, and an emergency pod..." Tart shouted merrily as he raced from place to place. Kish was also impressed by its size and complexity, although he decided it was better to ask Pie, an expert on these things, how impressed they really should be.

"Sooo...how is it?" He inquired. Pie was already busy, checking to ensure that all of the various machines were running properly.

"I can't believe our luck! A Valkyrie model, and in the 700 generation...not exactly top-of-the-line, but definately close. Perfect for what we need." Valkyries were among the smaller of the warship models, absolutely dwarfed next to the massive Satyricon motherships. But they were fast and maneuverable, and easy to slip in with a crowd. Perfect.

"It's almost too perfect, though..." Pie muttered to himself. "There just has to besomething wrong." Always having held a pessimistic view of life, Pie was unable to accept the way everything had been working out for them. There just HAD to be a snag..."

This was why he moved about the deck, nimble fingers and quick eyes searching for a fault, a flaw in a vital machine that would put an end to their plan. However, it was not Pie, but Tart who uncovered it first. Where once there had been the jubilant cries of the brown-haired alien, silence now spoke louder then he had. It was broken when his speech echoed through the ship.

"Hey guys...what's in this room?" He questioned,and the other two hurried to his side. They found themselves in front of a large, locked door, which seemed as though it sealed an airtight room on the other side. Pie's face paled when he saw it, and for perhaps the first time, he seemed genuinly scared.

Before Pie could stop them, Tart and Kish were using the ID card to unlock it. The card dropped from little Tart's hand to clatter noisilly on the cold metal floor when the door slowly opened to reveal exactly what Pie had feared.


	6. Chapter 6: Lemana

Snowbluerat: Yes, I'm aware that my chapters are a bit short, but I hope you will understand that this is the only way I can concievably write fanfiction given the miniscule amount of free time I have on my hands. It does seem to be dragging a bit, and perhaps once all the introductory alien chapters are finished, they will be condensed into one or two, but that is unlikely. See, this story is written by Neko and her big sis (who is writing this now), although most of the writing is currently done by aforementioned older sister (me). However, this will probably change once we get to the chapters involving the Mew Mews, so then you can expect to see more of Neko's writing. Anyway, concerning chapter length, I hope you will all bear with me because without writing this in short bursts, it would probably only be updated about twice a year. I'm sorry, but I just don't have enough time to write full-blown chapters AND update regularly. And yes, what is behind the door IS rather big. And now, prepare to find out!

Chapter 6: Lemana

The three aliens watched in awe as the smoky haze started to clear from the chamber, allowing them to see further and further into it's depths. It was a spacious room, second in size only to the bridge. However, the room contained only one object- a massive machine consisting of several tubes and wires all connected to the central piece: a large cylindrical chamber. But it was neither the wires nor the chamber itself that frightened the trio, but the thing that could be seen through the transparant surface of the chamber: a girl.

Kish and Pai could instantly identify her by the clothing she wore, which floated about her in the liquid that filled her chamber. Like her clothing, her long, silver-blue hair billowed out around her head like a flower. A tube ran through the clear surface to her nose and mouth, supplying her with air as well as sustaining her state of sleep. Such devices were used by only a select few: thirteen to be exact. "Who...is she?" Tart asked in wonder, being too young to have been educated on such matters. It took Pai a moment to find his voice, but then he answered in a low, nervous tone.

"She is one of the Elite, a specialized squadron consisting of thirteen female warriors. Each is a master of a unique skill, a weapon-element combination like my thunder-fan. They are the best warriors in the galaxy, and answer only to their leader..." Here Pie paused, for his mouth was uncomfortably dry. "Their leader, General Maya. Each has their own flagship, on which one of these machines is located so that they may rest during the ship's flight, conserving their energy for whatever mission they have at their destination."

"Okay, we're going to have to move her without waking her up." Pai continued.

"Why can't she just stay here?" Asked Kish.

"Because, if she stays her the machine will automatically wake her up when we reach Earth, and she has full control to exit." There was no need to explain what would happen if she were to escape. "We need to unplug all the cords and carry her somewhere else. Then she will not be able to get out without help from someone outside."

"Wait. If we unplug it, then won't the power stop going through? There'll be nothing to keep her awake, or breathing." Kish interjected.

"Yes, but not right away. It has an extra energy supply, but it will only last a short time without any support from the ship. But her oxygen supply will continue, because once the private supply runs out, the machine will automatically draw on the exterior air." Pai explained, and quickly began unhooking wires and cables. "Let's go." He announced, positioning himself in front of the chamber.

"But It's heavy!" Complained Tart.

"Just get moving. Trust me, this'll be worth it!"

It took all three of their strengths combined to carry the large machine on their backs, but fear moved them quickly to the holding chamber, where they set it down and turned on the powerful forcefield.

"Eeh, Pai? Exactly how long will the extra energy supply last before she wakes up?" Kish was clearly nervous.

"Not long," Pai answered, not lookingup from the expansive keyboard he was using to pilot the ship. "It will hold her, though."

Kish wasn't convinced. "Are you sure it-"

"AAAAAAHHH!" What is going on here! Guards, GUARDS! Release me this instant!"

Pai flinched. "She's awake."

"Well, now what do we do?" Asked Tart, popping in from the weapons room and holding his large ears.

"I should be able to enable the sound barrier for the holding cell, but these controls are unfamiliar, and it'll take a few minutes for me to figure it out."

"Help, HELP! Why am I in this filthy holding chamber! Lith! Imra! Where are you! Get out here and explain this to me NOW, or I'll give you some SERIOUS windburns! I'll suck you up in a TORNADO, and -"

"Kish, Tart, I'm getting a headache. It's going to be next to impossible to find that button with this infernal racket going on. Could someone please go and try to shut her up so I can concentrate?"

"I'll go." Volunteered Kish. He strode over to the holding chamber, entering and shutting the door behind him.

He approached the girl, who promptly demanded "Who are you and what is going on here!" His response was rather blunt.

"Hi, I'm Kish. We've stolen your ship."

Miniature dust devils swirled around while huge gusts of wind blasted against the walls of the cell as she screeched. "WHAT!"

Kish, nearly blown back by the force of the wind, was glad that her power was greatly restricted due to the chamber, allowing only minor use outside. He merely repeated, "We've stolen your ship."

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

More dust devils. It took her a while to calm down to the point that she could aske what she needed to. "Where are you taking me!"

"Nowhere." Kish answered. "Actually, we hadn't planned on you being here in the first place."

"WELL, then, where are we GOING!" She asked angrily.

"Calm down, calm down!" Kish complained. "Now, why should I have to tell you anything if you're yelling at me so rudely? Besides, you haven't even told me your name! Don't you have any manners?"

"AAAAARGH! It's COMPLETELY POINTLESS to ask you questions! You STEAL MY SHIP, dump me in this FILTH, capture the guards..."

Kish sighed. "I'm never going to hear the end of this, am I?" he began drumming his fingers against the wall.

"Alright...fine..." She replied sulkily. "My name is Lemana. Where are we going?"

"Earth."

"But that's...that's where we were going in the first place. Why did you take over the ship if we were already going there?" She asked.

"Now that..." Kish said thoughfully. "That I can't tell you."


	7. Chapter 7: Arrival at Last

Blue Planet Chapter 7: Arrival at Last

"Thank you for coming to Cafe Mew Mew, I hope you'll come again." Mint called from the front door as the day's last customer left, and the large entryway was shut. Lettuce sighed from her position at the mop.

"Wow, I can't believe it all ended so quickly. It was their job, their mission, and they just threw it all away. It's a good thing, I suppose, because we'd still be fighting them if they hadn't, but still...it doesn't feel right." Anyone caring to watch would see that the green-haired mew wasn't really looking at her mop, or even the floor beneath her as she continued to polish the same spot of the floor over and over again, creating a circle of dirt around it.

"Yes, it is for the best. At least, OUR best, that is." Added Zakuro as she closed the cash register up, having just ensured that all the profits were accounted for and safe. She shut the drawer with a swift motion of her hand, causing a bell hidden somewhere inside the machine to chime loudly. Her hand remained beside the register, unmoving as Zakuro was, whose normally alert purple eyes were clouded as she thought. But the moment was just that, a moment, and her vision cleared once again as she returned to reality and turned to walk away from her accustomed place.

"I miss Tart." Pudding sniffed, thinking sadly of how she had never had the chance to really get to know the little alien.

"But Pudding, it's only been two weeks!" Mint retorted pointedly.

"I'm tired." Ichigo added in a monotone. She truly had not been herself of late, her words unemotional and carrying no more depth then this paltry statement.

"Well, you picked a good time, because the cafe just closed." Zakuro answered with a hint of compassion in her voice, all though no more then the tiniest sliver. Even she could not help but empathise with the girl now; once their leader with boundless energy and a never-failing ability to be late for everything, and now reduced to a mere shadow of her old self. Ever since...ever since...

For a brief moment, no one spoke and everyone paused. It was as though time itself was paused.

"ICHIGO!" The silence broke with a long yell from none other than...Kish!

"Alright girls, let's go! Ready? Mew Mew Strawerry...?"

But the other four girls were way ahead of her, already in mew form and poised for attack. that was when Ichigo realized that she had no cat ears protruding from her head. "Oh yeah, I can't do that anymore." She said to herself, the brief candle that had lit within her at the appearance of their old enemies fading fast and extinguishing to leave her zombie-like once again.

Zakuro was just beginning to say "Ribbon..." when Tart, who was clearly panicking, cut her off.

"WAIT! Stop! You've got us all wrong! Don't attack us! Don't hurt us! It's not our fault! Pai, Kish, back me up here, will you!"

But Kish was busy, floating in enthusiastic circles around Ichigo. "Hi Ichigo! Did you miss me, 'cause I sure missed you! I was thinking of sending you a letter, but airmail doesn't work between planets. Oh, and did you know-"

"Go away, Kish." Ichigo groaned. The alien paused in front of her, then floated over to join Pie and Tart, his moment of happiness gone.

"Well, if you really have changed your ways, then why did you come back? Surely not to visit?" Mint interrogated.

Pai shook his head. "We came to warn you. Our king was dissapointed with our 'failure' to seize your planet, and now he is sending almost everyone from our planet to come and fight to take Earth." This was followed by a moment of horrified shock from all the mews as the terrible news began to sink in, but was broken by the sound of them muttering to each other.

Breaking through the noise, Ryou, who had come in with Keiichero during Tart's panic session, spoke. "Why should we believe you?"

Pudding bounced over to the aliens. "Do you have any proof, na no da?" She asked suspiciously.

"Well..." Tart moaned. The aliens looked at each other nervously. Kish motioned for a huddle, and the aliens began to whisper amongst themselves.

"Proof?" Tart asked.

"Well...we have _her_..." Kish mentioned.

"_HER_!" Tart exploded, and the startled Mew Mews looked at one another.

"We can't use _her_! Are you crazy? Besides, how is she proof anyway?"

"She's the only thing we've got other than the ship, and that isn't real proof either." Kish responded. Sighing, the threesome turned back to the impatient interrogaters.

"We have nothing but our word, so take it or leave it!" Tart exclaimed haughtily. "But really, why would we come all this way to warn you or a danger that doesn't exist?" He continued.

"I don't know, na no da..." Pudding broke in, stroking her chin thoughtfully. "Why don't you tell me?"

"We can't tell you because we didn't do it!" Yelled tart in response, but Kish clapped a hand over his mouth to muffle his indignant mutterings.

"I suppose you'll just have to trust us." Kish concluded, and the aliens waited for the Mew Mews' ruling.

"Well, trusting them seems a bit foolish, but I can't think of any reason they would lie about something like that." Ryou stated, and the others nodded in agreement. Tart nodded enthusiastically as well.

"How many of you are coming?" Zakuro asked, clearly believing them.

"Around five-hundred. The king pulled everyone away to fight in this war. there is nothing he won't do to take over this planet." :ie responded, straight-forward, and some of the Mews nearly gasped.

"We had such a hard time with the three of you...how can we possibly hope to defend against five-hundred?" Lettuce groaned in depair. Mint was shocked.

"Five...hundred?" She repeated quietly, her eyes wide with disbelief and her hands quivering. One by one, everyone turned to look at Ichigo, awaiting her response as the once had. She bit her lip, struggling to find something to say. Suddenly turning from them, she spoke. "What is everyone looing at me for? I'm useless now, remember?" Now it was Kish's turn to be suprised, and a perplexed look came over his features. What could have happened to happy-go-lucky Ichigo to bring about such a change in her?

"If what they say is true, and for now we have no choice but to believe it is, then we'll have to do something about that. And I think I can..." Ryou began, a slow smile edging onto his face at the prospect of a challenge. The peace times following the aliens' departure had been unbarably boring for the genius. The aliens sighed unanimously, relieved.

"Well then, we'll be returning to our ship for now. It'll be nice to finally get some rest!" Kish stated, and they began to rise to teleport away.

"Oh! Here, give us a call if you need us. We'll definately be stopping by some more anyway, though." Tart said as a flash of realization crossed him, and he handed Pudding a small radio-like device.

"Bye, Ichigo!" Kish called in a sing-song voice as the air around them wavered, and the aliens were gone.

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To the reviewers:

Haven't done many of these, have I? Glad everyone seems to like Lemana, I know I sure do! Thought that would make an interesting twist. I'm doing my best to keep OCs to a minimum, although I can't help but add in a few here and there. xP

Snowbluerat: Oh, don't worry about it! I don't mind criticism, so long as it's constructive. Yours was well-placed. Anyway, I'm verypleased you think so! I try to be original (well, the basis may not be original but most of the content is!). It makes me happy to know people like it.

Saingirl101: Thanks! Your the second person to ask about this, lol! See Chapter 4.


	8. Chapter 8: From Bad to Worse

Author's Note: Alright, well I know we're all tired of the same old new mew fics. So please, please don't drop this story after reading this chapter! The Mew Mew squad will attempt to create two new mews. Key word here- attempt. This is NOT a new mew story. Things will not go well. Ahem…anyway…

Chapter 8: From Bad to Worse

"Now, the first step is to reinfuse Ichigo. I have everything ready, and I'll start it up in a few minutes. Actually I've made several improvements to the first method. I think this time we'll be skipping the whole earthquake situation…"

Those were the last words Ichigo heard as she faded into a place where bubbles surrounded her. Everything was the same except that this time, the bubbles were blue instead of the green of before. She sighed as she heard the familiar pop of a bubble and a young wildcat appeared, and she felt the warmth as it jumped into her. _Just like the first time,_ Ichigo thought, _only less confusing._

When finally she awoke, she was surrounded by the faces of the mews, asking,

"Did it work?"

"How do you feel?" and

"Can you transform again, na no da?"

"I think it worked," Was Ichigo's response, "but Ryou, five hundred is a lot. I think we're going to need something else."

"I'm working on that. We definitely need more man power-"

"We're girls, na no da!"

"…It's a term, Pudding. Anyway, when I infused Ichigo for the second time, I also set it to infuse two other girls. I need you all to spread out and see if you can find Rika Sakawa and Nausicaa Minali. Keiichero and I have discovered that they have somewhat compatible DNA. In other words, possible new mews."

An awed silence passed over the girls. "New mews…" Ichigo said slowly. They all nodded, and left to search for Rika and Nausicaa.

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Zakuro was fairly certain that this would be simple. A small crowd would likely have formed around either Rika or Nausicaa, and so it stood to reason that if she should scan the area she was searching for any signs of gatherings. A little ways off, Zakuro spotted a worried looking girl, and decided to investigate. However, the girl approached her before she had reached her, and asked,

"Excuse me, but have you seen a girl, brownish blonde hair, kind of short, brown eyes?"

Zakuro opened her mouth to respond, but she noticed something strange. What seemed to be a goat was hovering about the girl's feet.

"No," Zakuro answered, "I'm sorry, but I haven't." Without saying goodbye, the girl ran away quickly to ask others and search for her friend. The goat tried to hurry after her, but its way was blocked by the many walking people, and it lost sight of the frantic girl. Zakuro casually walked toward it, and it turned its head to look up at her in a most human-like manner. "Well, I suppose this one didn't come out quite right. Follow me, and I'll see if we can do anything about this. I'll have someone explain what's happened to you."

Nodding, the goat obediently followed Zakuro back to the café, the goat's horned head swiveling from side to side to take in the new surroundings curiously.

"Ryou, which girl did you inject with goat DNA?" She was met with no answer. "Ryou?" Zakuro called again. "He was here not long ago…" She remarked to herself, although the goat snorted softly in sympathy.

"Zakuro! We've found one of the girls!" Lettuce shouted, running in. However, she sounded upset.

"I think I've found the other one." Replied Zakuro, and the goat gave a short 'baa' in agreement.

"Lettuce! Where are you! We sent you out for the cold packs ten minutes a- EEK! What's a goat doing in here!" Mint squealed, storming in as well. The goat seemed to glare at her, and a look of dread appeared on Mint's face. "I guess we won't be getting any help, then."

"Well, come on, we have to tend to Nausicaa." Lettuce reminded them, readjusting the cold packs in her arms and doing her best to motion for them to follow without dropping any. She was unsuccessful, but Mint grabbed the ones she had dropped with an impatient sigh. "The others should know about this." Lettuce added. As she lead them through the café, she explained to Zakuro what had happened in her absence. The goat appeared to be listening intently as well.

"Pudding found a girl not far from here, there were a bunch of people around her. She was unconscious, and I guess everyone thought she had a fever or something. Pudding heard them call her Nausicaa, since she had some sort of ID on her, and reported back really fast. Ryou and Keiichero left, they were pretending to be paramedics, and brought her back here. Oh Zakuro, she looks really sick! I think we did this!" Lettuce was on the verge of tears, but she didn't dare try to wipe her eyes for fear of dropping the packs again. They arrived at a small room at the back of Café Mew Mew.

"Where's Ryou?" Asked Mint, "He was here when I left!"

"Ryou's in the lab. He said something about a machine. It'd be best not to disturb him." Keiichero answered, polite as always. Ichigo and pudding were sitting on a bed, trying desperately to awaken a pale, sickly looking girl whom Zakuro judged to be Nausicaa.

"I suppose that means you're Rika." She said quietly to the goat, who looked up at hearing her name and nodded vigorously. Finally, the girl on the bed stirred. Her eyelids fluttered open to reveal mahogany colored eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but coughing came out instead of words. When the fit subsided, she gazed about at the others.

"Where…where am I?"


	9. Chapter 9: The Meeting

Chapter 9: The Meeting

"Alright, as I'm sure most of you are aware, things didn't quite go as planned." Ryou announced to the group assembled before him, opening the meeting he had called. He tried to gaze boldly at them as he usually did, but Ryou found himself unable to meet the eyes of any one of them. "I was unable to find any fully compatible people, only two that were semi-compatible. I took a risk, and well…the results are here. Rika," Ryou continued with a nod in the goat's direction, "has been overtaken by the goat's DNA. I will see what I can do to reverse it." Here he paused to inhale deeply. "Now Nausicaa…Nausicaa is fighting her infusion. She is not a Mew, because she has no power over when she transforms. For now, she remains in control, which is why she appears human. However, the bear DNA is bound to win over eventually, judging by the rate her body is weakening. Nausicaa cannot hold it back forever, and I don't know what will happen when it does take control of her. One thing is certain: we must watch her carefully. Nausicaa will remain with us until a cure is discovered. You are dismissed."

Lettuce waited until everyone had left, then walked slowly up to Ryou. "Um…Ryou...I would like to talk with you." He seemed slightly surprised, but nodded and motioned for her to go on. "What happened with Rikai and Nausicaa…it wasn't your fault. Some things just happen that way and someone ends up taking responsibility for them, and feeling horrible about it. That person…used to be me. I used to feel like…like I was clumsy, like I wasn't smart, like I couldn't do anything right. But…what I didn't notice…is that I really was trying my best. Remember that time on the cruise ship? You made me see that it was useless to take responsibility for things I hadn't done so take some of your own advice, and have more confidence. You've earned it."

Ryou's stressed expression lightened, and a slow smile overtook his mouth. Lettuce sure had changed from the girl she had once been. "Thanks lettuce. In fact, there's something I would like to show you." He then fished a small device out of his pocket. It was round, with five vials set in its surface. Each was colored in coordination to the garment which it's mew wore when transformed, and held a miniature version of the girl's endangered species surrounded by liquid. A small, round white handle sprang up from its center, attached to a tube. On the bottom was a thin white lid which could be slid to one side for vials to be inserted.

"This device allows you to transform into your infused species. Unlike Ichigo's black cat form, you are much stronger, and will turn into the actual species." He explained. Lettuce couldn't help but think of Rika, stuck in a form she couldn't communicate from. As though he had heard her thoughts, Ryou reassured her. "Oh, you'll be able to transform out at will." Lettuce wasn't completely placated, but it did help to assuage her fears a bit.

"What are we using it for?"

Ryou glanced at the clock. "As for that, I'll hold a meeting and explain it to everyone tomorrow. You should go home." Lettuce nodded.

"Thanks Ryou." With that, she turned and left the café. Ryou stalled, watching her exit, then stood for a moment gazing at the strange device. His eyebrows narrowed as he scrutinized it. Was it ready for use after all? What if he brought on another disaster, and instead of giving the Mews a new weapon, turned them all into animals permanently and eliminated all hope? Lettuce's words drifted back to his mind. What if he hurt her somehow with his experiments? He could never live with himself if he did. "I need to do more work." Ryou remarked to himself, and walked back to the lab to check it for flaws again.


	10. Chapter 10: Interrogation

Chapter 10: Interrogation

The afternoon sun could not be seen by the waking figure of Lemana. Tired from yelling, screaming, and demanding to be let out, she now curiously watched the doings of the strange trio of aliens that had stolen her ship. Lemana had learned quite quickly that there was nothing to be gained by fighting and shouting, and so she had been busy re-evaluating her escape strategy. Some degree of cooperation would be necessary if she were to leave the cell anytime soon. Because, of course, she had to get out and rejoin the other Elite…right? Shaking her head fiercely, she cleared her mind of any doubt. Oh course that was what she needed to do. She couldn't complete the mission otherwise. Failure was not an option to an Elite.

She had previously been slumped in a back corner of the cell, her back pressed against the wall as she slept sitting upright, silver blue hair forming a curtain in front of her face so that the others would not know whether she was asleep or awake. Lemana longed to stretch her legs, so she rose from her position to pace back and forth. Unbeknownst to her, as the force field's sound barrier had been enabled, the aliens were arguing out on the bridge.

"But Pai, if we're going to spy on them, shouldn't we ask _her_ where they are? _She's_ one of them, _she_ would know! We have a prisoner, darn it, we should at least try to interrogate her!" Kish stated stubbornly.

"My ears are sore enough from yesterday, I'd rather keep the barrier up. Besides, she won't tell us anything." Pai snapped.

"I can get her to talk, it's simple! You just have to barter with her a little." Before anyone could say another word, Kish stalked off toward the cell.

Pai sighed, rubbing his temple with one hand while he quickly flipped to the computer screen that allowed him to disable the sound barrier. "This is pointless." He mumbled to himself, but went through with it nonetheless. Tart, meanwhile, was tinkering with a robot no larger than a nickel, laying flat on his stomach on the floor of the ship. In his hand was a small control pad, and he had forsaken the keypad normally used for entering complex commands in favor of a little joystick for manual control. His eyes were trained on the little robot, which was much like an insect in appearance. Tart's fingers worked the controls, as he was trying, and remarkably, succeeding, in having the little thing do back flips.

"Hey Pai! Pai! Look, isn't it cool?" He asked excitedly as the Bug leapt a foot in the air and flipped three times while falling.

"Do you really need reminding that the robot you are mercilessly degrading is not, in fact, a toy, but a military weapon scientifically designed to infiltrate and record images?" He explained, knowing his line by heart from having used it several times throughout the day. Ever since he had searched and collected a few of the useful robots for their upcoming spying mission on the Elite, Tart had seized his 'favorite' despite the fact that all were identical, and worked enthusiastically with it to 'teach' it tricks like a little robotic pet.

"Yeah, it sure is a waste, huh? I mean, who would want to use them for tools when they make such awesome toys?" The younger alien replied, not looking up from the Bug. "Oh, and guess what I named it?" He continued.

"…You named the Bug?" Pai responded incredulously, but it did nothing to dismay Tart.

"You bet! Well, since you don't want to play, I'll tell you. Behold, Bob-sponge the Bug!" He exclaimed.

"…May I ask from where you drew your inspiration for that name?" Pai asked, following a long silence at the ridiculousness of the 'name'.

"You don't remember? I know you were there, lemme help you! Ok, remember that time when our receivers picked up that kid's channel last time we were here? Remember, this show started playing on the screen? Oh yeah, you left. Some mission or other. Anyway, I was watching it! It was about this sponge (he lived in the ocean, I think) and his name was Bob. For some reason, though, everyone called him a sponge. There was this other guy too, his name was Word-squid, or something like that. Dunno why, maybe he was a grammar teacher or something."

"…"

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"Hello, Lemana. If you'll listen, I have a few questions for you." Kish announced, sounding confident.

Lemana's head rose to bring her eye level with the other alien, and she took a few steps forward to stand directly on the other side of the semi-transparent boundary separating them. Her mouth formed itself into a smile, but there was no warmth in the gesture. Kish's reaction to this allowed him to recognize that he had certainly changed since he had first set out long ago to take Earth. Where once he would have thought little of it, usually bearing an identical emotionless grin himself, now he found it unnerving. _I've been around humans too long._ He thought with a mental grimace, although years of practice kept it from translating into his physical expression.

"Oh I can tell you most assuredly that I will listen. After all, it isn't as though I have any more pressing matters to attend to. To be honest, I'm rather bored. It's a bit of a disappointment really, being promised some real action in the conquest of Earth and all, only to end up a prisoner on one's own ship." Lemana heaved a great sigh of mock grief, raising both arms palms'up in a gesture of hopelessness. However, an unpleasant glint came to her eye as her arms dropped again. "But I may or may not choose to answer them. That would surely depend on what if is you wish to know." A sly look came over Kish, and he jabbed a finger at the barrier.

"Aha! I've finally placed your accent. You're from the Rheya territory, aren't you?" Lemana's eyebrows raised slightly in surprise.

"Well, that's an interesting sort of question! I'll answer to that. Yes, young rebel, I hail from the wind-swept plains of East Tharlon! Lemana of Rheya, at your service." She returned with a sweeping bow. "There isn't a better place to study wind on the planet."

"Well, so long as you don't die the moment you leave town. I heard the winds there are strong enough to break your bones."

"That's true. But if you'd like to see for yourself, step right in here and I'll be _happy_ to show you the power of the Tharlon winds." Lemana continued, although there was no malice in her voice.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm really more comfortable out here." Kish declined, unfazed.

"A real pity." She replied ruefully, slowly shaking her head.

"Alright Lemana, now if you would be so kind as to help me out, where are the rest of the Elite?" Kish asked.

"I should warn you, if you expect an Elite to be kind, then you know very little about us. Oh, as to your question, I can't say I know really. Afraid I'm a bit out of the loop at the moment, so they haven't exactly told me where they'll be at."

"Well that's a useless answer!" Kish complained.

"Sorry, can't help you there." Lemana replied, although her tone was dry and devoid of sympathy.

"Then maybe you could tell me where the usual meeting locations are? As an Elite, you definitely know that."

"Do you honestly believe that I _memorized_ the locations of all the Elite meeting places? That's just ridiculous. I think there might have been a file with all that stuff on it somewhere, but I can't for the life of me remember where it was stored or what the code was to access it. Please pardon my faulty memory." The alien answered with a pitiful air, although the act was spoiled by a look of malicious laughter in her eyes. Kish raised his hands in despair and rolled his eyes.

"Well, I guess that's a little bit more helpful, but still pretty much useless. So, do you know when-"

"Ah, ah, ah!" Lemana cut him off, waggling a long, slender finger. "I believe three is the magic number here on Earth. You see, I was something of a scholar once. Three questions only!" Kish's tone didn't change, although he smirked playfully.

"Hey, I don't remember establishing a three question limit! And besides, technically we aren't really on Earth. We're sort of in orbit, but not because we have to be out of satellite range and all that boring stuff."

Lemana opened her mouth as if to answer, but instead she suddenly reached back and pulled forth a massive bout of wind and thrust it toward Kish with full force. Although the barrier took the bite out of the attack, it was not quite top of the line and still allowed a small portion of the forceful attack through. Kish, caught as much off his guard as he ever could be, was alert enough to avoid being knocked off his feet but the attack was enough of a surprise to hit him unprepared. He was slammed into the cold metal of the back wall, although the only thing that had been injured was Kish's dignity. A slight scowl passed his face, but quickly disappeared. However, his expression was much more serious than before.

"Here's some advice, something I learned in training with the Elite. _Never_ let your guard down. It should help you in the future. Well, not that yours will last long anyway, rebel. Your kind never last long." Kish was silent for a moment, but he was not about to leave without some real information.

"Ok then. Have it your way. We'll drop the banter and cut straight to the chase."

"That sounds nice to me."

"Alright. I want some questions answered. You want out of that crappy cell. So, let's make a deal. You agree to talk, and maybe I'll let you out of there _provided_ that you'll wear the cuffs. In case you've _forgotten, _they'll stop you from attacking because they prevent you from using a lot of energy, mental or physical. Ah, they also stop you from operating computers or machinery. You'll get electrocuted or something. So basically, no escaping, no attacking, but you can walk around and sleep in a more comfortable place then the floor."

"I don't take maybes. That's nothing but a justification not to do what you were going to. You'll either do it, or you won't. Make up your mind, and then we'll talk." Kish smiled, but it wasn't so much of a smirk anymore.

"Fine then. You answer my questions, and I'll let you out. That's that."

"I have no way of knowing that I can trust you."

"Good point. Well, think of it this way. You answer the first two questions I asked, well, not the Tharlon one, since you already answered that, and I'll let you out. Say I don't let you out. Then my word is dirt with you, and you'll never help me out again. Who knows, I might need some more advice in the future. It wouldn't do to spoil any chances I have later, would it? So I guess its really up to you to decide. Will you take the risk and see if you can trust me, at the promise of being let out of your cell? Or would you rather just play it safe and deal with sleeping on the metal floor for the rest of your stay?" Lemana was silent, clearly weighing the possible outcomes to see if it was worth it.

"Well, I normally don't strike deals with rebels. But maybe I like you. Either that or I just really, really want to get out of this cell. Take your pick."

"I'll take the first, of course. I'd set up a date, but my heart's already taken! But I'd be happy to set you free…once you answer my questions. Sorry, but flattery won't get you far with me. Well, not that it hurts of course." He replied slyly. Lemana snorted.

"No thanks on that date. Really. Anyway, I'll tell you what you need to know."

After spending a few minutes giving a vague, but accurate enough description of how to reach the places where Elite were likely to congregate. True to his word, Kish quickly passed a pair of the special cuffs through the barrier, and Lemana stayed true to her word as well by adjusting them to her arms obediently. Pai did not look at all pleased with Kish's decision, and he eyed the girl as though she was apt to explode at any second. However, she simply flung herself into a chair and sat quietly. A definite improvement. Oh, she would get out eventually, of course. But for now, why not wait and see what they were planning? What must there motive be, for three aliens to oppose the entire planet's army? Why, it was practically begging for death! Certainly, it was enough to seize the curiosity of anyone…


	11. Chapter 11: Departure

Blue Planet

Chapter 11: Departure

It was a dull afternoon in the café, and for once, almost no customers had come to enjoy the food and atmosphere. Ryou held back a yawn, sleepily emerging from the small, dark hole that was the lab. He had been testing his latest invention for the entire duration of the previous night, ensuring that the third prototype was flawless, or at least, as much so as he could make it. Keichero took but a single look at him.

"Ryou, what are you, a cave animal? You shouldn't coop yourself up in the lab all night, you know. Smart though you may be, you shouldn't deprive your body of the sleep you need." He announced.

Ryou's gigantic muffled yawn finally exploded, making a loud noise that caused Lettuce, who happened to be in the kitchen, to squeal and quickly attempt to take refuge under the sink, only to find Pudding already there and squeal again, then moving to hide under the table.

"Meeting in the lab." Ryou muttered frankly, and returned to his shadowy crevice.

"Alright ladies, I've come up with something that I think should help you with the upcoming war. I call it the physical altering device, PAD for short. It will allow you to shape shift into the form of your unique endangered species. While in this form, you will have the ability to communicate with animals of your species, as well as those closely related to them. I will be transporting each of you to the place where your individual species can be found in most abundance. As we don't know when exactly to expect an alien attack, I think it wise to send only one of you out at a time, keeping the other four here together in case something happens. Lettuce, since your location is closest to here, you will be leaving first. Tomorrow." With that, he waved a hand, looking almost sickly pale from the many days and nights its owner had spent working fervently in the lab, in dismissal to those assembled about him.

"Meeting's over."

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That night, Lettuce went home with a headache, likely caused from her incessant worrying over the course of the day about all that could possibly go wrong in her mission, and the effects it would carry. She also wondered how Ryou planned to transport her all the way from Tokyo to the Fin-Fin Luxury Hotel, where Ryou had somehow arranged for her stay. It was, she had heard, usually nigh impossible to make reservations at the popular resort, especially on such short notice, but then, it was nearly as impossible to locate a place that Ryou did not have connections to. In the meantime, Lettuce decided to pack her belongings.

"Just calm down, Lettuce. Everything will be ok." She told herself in an attempt at optimism, although the degree to which it worked was questionable, seeing as the worries in her head still persisted. Most of the items she packed were bathing suits, for she assumed that much of her time would be spent in the water. She harbored no visions of glamour on sunlit beaches; this was first and foremost a mission. A mission vital to the survival of humanity, and the countless other species that called Earth home as well. Lettuce did not intend to make any attempt to enjoy herself, rather, she would use every second of her time there constructively.

When she had finished, it had long since grown dark outside, for it was quite late. She decided to go to bed, and exhaustion overcame her. "Good night." The girl whispered to no one in particular, and she let herself fall asleep.

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The next morning, Lettuce awoke to the sight of two strange-looking figures standing over her bed. Both wore odd purple masks, covering faces both topped with blond hair. It didn't take much guesswork for her to figure out the identities of these people.

"Grab your things." Directed the taller, more irritated-looking of the two unceremoniously. Lettuce hurriedly jumped out of bed, snatching the suitcase she had packed the night before, slightly confused as to their odd method of fetching her.

"What's going on?" She asked curiously, trying and failing to suppress a yawn. "And why are you wearing those masks?" Lettuce added, jabbing a finger at the one worn by the taller, whom she figured must be Ryou.

"It's for the dramatic effect, na no da!" Pudding answered, smirking. Lettuce tried, and again, failed, to suppress a giggle at Ryou's surly silence.

"Surprise, surprise. Surely you remember this, Lettuce?" Ryou announced as they arrived at their destination, and the green-haired mew was left staring at Ryou's unrealistically massive yacht.

"I'll be able to take you three force of the way there, but I'm afraid you'll have to swim the last bit on your own. I'm not licensed to sail close enough to the islands to get you the rest of the way." He informed her apologetically. "I'll stop at that point, you'll go into porpoise form, and swim in a _straight_ line the rest of the way, ok?" He explained.

"Right." Lettuce murmured, feeling even less confident than she appeared, if that was possible. Ryou seemed to sense her lack of faith that she would be able to accomplish the task, and he laid a hand on her shoulder reassuringly, even giving her a rare smile.

"Hey, I'm sure you'll do fine! Don't worry." He said. Lettuce still couldn't believe that he could be right about that, but she did feel better.

This time, as they boarded the yacht, a few other passengers were also aboard the vessel: the boating crew and some remaining fans of the Tokyo Mew Mews. Pudding was absolutely thrilled when one of these girls requested that she perform for them, and the hyper girl immediately screeched a reply.

"Of course, na no da!"

She than began a series of multi-tasks, such as balancing on one foot on a spinning ball, while twirling plates atop sticks precariously positioned on her head, hands, and unoccupied foot. In all, her performance kept the fans busy for the whole two hours until Lettuce was forced to swim the rest of the way alone.

"Now remember, stay in a straight line when you're swimming!" Ryou reminded her almost frantically as the two forced their way through the crowd of fans who had gathered to watch her transform, and Lettuce merely nodded meekly, a blush creeping over her face at all the onlookers, and then Ryou activated the machine.

A blinding light surrounded Lettuce, and she saw in the blank whiteness around her all the times she had transformed into her Mew Mew form in the past. She saw the first time, and how she had attacked the other Mew Mews. How she squirmed in shame as she watched herself attacking those now as close to her as any family member! Yet the scene vanished as quickly as it had come, and she looked on to the next one. She now watched herself find her first Mew Aqua to save the life of an innocent child. _Is that really me?_ she wondered in awe, for the girl looked so brave, so sure of herself, of what she needed to accomplish. That was so far from what she felt now. Lettuce looked on as time replayed her rescuing Ryou while fighting off a giant poisonous Chimera Anima. Ryou. The sight of him stirred strange emotions within her, emotions that arose so rarely, yet always only with him. She felt the heat rise in her face as the emotion grew to be overwhelming while she saw herself kiss him in desperation, and she would have felt even more awkward had she not known that she was the only witness to this passage of scenes from her past. Just what was it she felt around him? Lettuce had nothing to compare it to, it was indescribable. Yet she had no more time to think about it, for again the vision changed. Lastly, she saw what was supposed to be the final battle against the aliens. "United we stand, divided we fall." Lettuce whispered, and she remembered everything. Her weakness had been so great during those moments, yet she had felt something, a connection, with the other Mews, that she had never before and never since felt again. That moment reminded her of how miracles came most often in times of need. She hoped she would not have to witness that again, yet secretly wished for that connection with someone, anyone, she had felt before. Come to think of it, the feeling was similar to that she had felt with Ryou, yet much less strong, and…different, somehow.

Suddenly, a strange sensation overtook her, yet she almost had been expecting it, for it seemed to be the culmination of something that had been growing stronger and stronger throughout her surveillance of the past. She looked up at the surrounding crowd, the people so much taller than before…

They seemed both amazed and shocked at her new appearance, how a girl could become a porpoise in what was, to them, a mere moment. To Lettuce, however, it had seemed so much longer. Giving her another reassuring smile, Ryou struggled to lift her and carried her down to a water level opening in the side of the boat.

"See? It's going just fine so far. Remember, just swim straight!" He whispered encouragingly, and Lettuce looked down into the water to see her new face. She attempted to gasp in shock, but it came out as an odd, high pitched squeak. Only once before had she looked in the mirror and seen something that she felt was not herself. Something unfamiliar. A sudden urge came over her to say something to Ryou, but when her first attempt came out in the same strange, squeaky way, Lettuce dove into the icy water without another thought.

It was beautiful! Coral reefs, colorful fish, and lovely blue-green water surrounded her. She was overjoyed as an immense feeling of absolute freedom came over her, and she swam on in complete happiness. It wasn't until she had been swimming for about a quarter mile when it hit her: she needed to get air! Lettuce swam up to the top of the water. To her surprise, the closer she came to the surface, the darker the water became! As she finally broke through the last layer of water and breathed in deeply, she looked about her to see that things were very different from when she had first submerged herself. The water thrashed with a violence so opposite from the inviting ripples she had first plunged through. Huge waves crashed against one another, and enormous gray clouds conquered the sky, sending rain pouring down. Most frightening of all was the lightning flashing across the surface of the ocean.

Not having the advantage of the fish she had seen of growing up in the ocean, Lettuce felt her inexperience in swimming and became frantic. She had learned that electricity would cover the surface of the water, where she was, terrifyingly, currently swimming, although the deeper water below her would be untouched by the furious lightning. She tried fervently to reach the safety promised by the darkness below her, but the currents buffeted her at every attempt, preventing her from getting to the calm water below, although she was, at least, out of danger of being electrocuted. However, it was an all-out battle to stay there, in the precarious waters where overpowering currents slapped against her rubbery sides. Fighting for her very survival, Lettuce did not let them deter her, and she twisted about to right herself and stay low enough to avoid being zapped. As exhaustion began to overtake her, Lettuce became faintly aware that she desperately needed to go up for air, but that would mean risking electrocution if lightning were to strike. Terrified, she ignored the burning need for air and kept fighting to stay down. Another current crashed into her, sending her reeling, and the whole world seemed to spin. As blackness crept into Lettuce's mind, Ryou's face and words came to her._ I have to just…swim in a straight…line…_ She told herself, and then she drifted into a state of unconsciousness.


	12. Chapter 12: Irreplaceable

Blue Planet Chapter 12:

Irreplaceable

Kish felt a twinge of remorse about leaving Pai alone with Lemana, although he shook the feeling off. Just moments ago, the aliens had been engaged in an argument, because Kish had wanted to visit Earth to tell the Mews of their plans. Tart had taken his side, but Pai was reluctant to risk going to Earth too often. In the end, however, he had acquiesced, and the two aliens had teleported off, leaving Pai with nothing but a frown on his face and a scheming female alien for company.

Of course, Kish had an ulterior motive: Ichigo. The moping, quiet redhead was nothing like the exuberant, cheerful Ichigo of his memory. This brought about an unusual emotion in Kish: worry. The alien had a sneaking suspicion that Masaya had something to do with the unexpected change in Ichigo's personality, as he couldn't remember seeing the irritating boy since he had arrived. _Good riddance!_

So here he was with Tart, simply floating and staring at the unfortunate 'closed' sign hung on the doors of Café Mew Mew. Doors were no problem when one could teleport, so of course he had been inside. To his disappointment, no one was present, and there seemed to be only one solution.

"I'll go tell Ichigo, and you go talk to your precious Pudding." Kish teased the shorter alien beside him. Anger and embarrassment flushed Tart's face bright red, and he was about to respond with an indignant retort when Kish smirked teasingly, amused to get such a reaction out of the younger alien, and teleported away.

The air in Ichigo's room wavered, and Kish appeared soundlessly. And lo and behold, there she was; curled up like a cat in her bed, sleeping peacefully.

_I wonder how she does it_. Kish thought with a sigh, fondness in his mental voice. _Going after a boy she hardly knows without reason, turning a blind eye to true love. And why?_ Each unanswered question only seemed to raise more.

Knowing he would have to wake her up, Kish quickly and quietly pressed the alarm button on Ichigo's clock, then teleported downstairs. Amusing as it would be to see her reaction if she woke up to the sight of an alien in her room, he had a feeling it would not go well with this new Ichigo. Soon enough, however, Ichigo was on her way; dark red hair messy and unkempt, and clothes wrinkled. She did not seem at all surprised to see him, although she had the look about her of one too unhappy to be surprised by much anymore. Merely glancing at him, she sighed.

"This had better be about the battle." She began, eyeing him dully and suspiciously.

"What, aren't you happy to see me?" Kish replied, feigning injury in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the old Ichigo. However, he was to be disappointed, for she simply looked away for a moment, before returning her gaze to the visitor in her home.

"Would you like some breakfast?" She asked blandly, and Kish, giving up his act, nodded lightly.

"Actually…I came here to tell you about a plan that we have…" He began.

"What plan?"

"Well, when we first came into possession of our ship, we discovered a member of the Elite – they're a group of thirteen first-class female warriors – on board. Her name is Lemana, and we've persuaded her to help us with a spy mission to the mothership. We're holding her captive."

"Can she be trusted?" Ichigo asked, her voice slightly muffled as she went about preparing rice balls.

Kish raised his arms and shrugged. "I don't really know for sure. She's a tough one. But I think so." He answered, watching her create the food with mild interest.

"Well, just don't do anything stupid." Ichigo replied, placing the food on plates and moving toward the table. Peering strangely at the still hovering alien, she motioned toward the table, and the plate.

"You could, you know…sit down. If you do that." Kish raised his eyebrows, but took her suggestion, descending slowly to the ground. He took a few experimental steps, but adjusted easily. It wasn't going marvelously, with Ichigo…but better than he had hoped. After taking a bite of his rice ball, and murmuring appreciatively, he decided to see if he could get her talking.

"So, Ichigo" Kish began, his tone with a bitter edge to it, "How's _Masaya_?"

Ichigo flinched slightly at the sound of his name, and her face clouded over quickly. At first, she gave no response, but then, with her voice much more bitter than Kish's, it came at last.

"He's gone, and he's not coming back. For me, at least. I thought he liked me, loved me, the real me. But that wasn't it. He was caught up in the drama, the story, the whole…the whole 'saving the world and the environment' thing. Now that I'm not some kind of warrior for nature, he just…lost interest. No further explanation, just off to England. Why should he care about how I feel? Masaya has thousands of girls head-over-heels for him. I won't be hard to replace."

With the overwhelming sadness in Ichigo's voice, Kish was surprised that she wasn't crying. Then, he realized, she had already been crying, so much that she had no more tears left. She had shed her tears, and with them, her emotions, and been left a hollow shell. Anger sparked in Kish that anyone would dare treat her so, but it was quickly drowned out by compassion, and a desire to help Ichigo, to make her understand what a wonderful, beautiful person she was.

"No one could replace you, Ichigo! Ever. You are…you are truly one of a kind. Masaya was worthless to begin with, and remains that way. He may not love you, but I do, and I always will. I can help you through this, but I can't tell you what to do. But Ichigo, one question…will you let me love you? You don't have to love me back."

"Kish, I just need a little more time to heal, then I'll decide."

"Ok. I'll be waiting." Kish smiled.

"Who said I'd say yes?!" Ichigo began, but was cut off by Kish's finger shushing her.

At first she looked startled, then Kish smirked.

"It's nice to see you back to your normal self again." He said, and quickly rose from the table, jumped into the air, and teleported away, winking roguishly before disappearing into thin air.

"What…wait!" Ichigo called after him, reached out toward him, but he was gone.

So she sat, pondering, and the only trace to show that he had been there was a plate of unfinished rice balls.


	13. Chapter 13: Searching for Allies

Chapter 13: Searching for Allies

Riley G. Monteblin sighed as he stared into his tea, examining his reflection in the pale brown liquid. Two weeks had come and gone since he had arrived at the tiny, primitive island so far south of Japan, but he had yet to accomplish the purpose of his stay. Visitors were usually not allowed on the remote island, but the marine biologist had been invited by the natives in order to discover the cause of a mysterious illness plaguing the local fish. He needed an answer, and soon. Swallowing the last of his morning drink, Riley stooped down to exit his small hut, and made his way toward the beach.

His research had not all been in vain, however, as the previous night he had made the peculiar discovery of a finless porpoise, apparently unconscious, washed up on the sand. As he approached the little pen he had created for it, he was pleased to see that the creature was finally starting to wake up.

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Groggily, Lettuce opened her eyes. She was still a porpoise, but she was no longer in the deep ocean. Rather, she floated in a thin layer of water above a sandy beach. Curious about her surroundings, she wearily moved her tail and slowly swam to the left, only to find that many poles of bamboo blocked her way. Getting more panicked by the second, she followed the poles to find that they enclosed her completely, and she was unable to get back to sea.

Oh no, oh no…I have to change back! She thought frantically, and tried to focus. But in her panicked state, and after physically exhausting herself so during the storm, she couldn't transform, and could only thrash about in frenzy.

"Whoa, calm down, calm down! It'll be alright, I'm not going to keep you here forever, okay?" Said a voice from above the water, causing a now confused Lettuce to stop her attempts at freeing herself and peer up at the face of a man who appeared to be in his late twenties.

"I'm just here to try to find the cause of whatever's killing off the fish around here." The voice continued. Something's…killing the fish? Lettuce thought, confused and curious. As the man departed, heading further down the beach, Lettuce was left to think.

It was nighttime. The silver moon hung bright above Lettuce's head, illuminating her forest green braids. She had planned on being away for a few days, so she might as well be here. She would stay with Riley.

The next morning, Riley awoke to the most unprecedented surprise of his life.


End file.
